Shopping goodies in Siem Reap Old Market?

Day 3 (3 May 2010). To yo'all gurls out there... shopping spweeeeee.....



First of all, lemme just share that I AM NOT A SHOPAHOLIC (I think I've said this in few other blog entries, heheheee...) really am not! Hence the blog titled "Globetrotter" mah.... BUT..... Having said that, I DO shop ie souvenir shopping lar... probably a few item for personal (due to peer pressure).

Due to my rubbish excuses above (yeah! yeah!), my recommendation & suggestion on shopping areas & goods pretty much sucks, HOWEVER; I will try (lar...) to show what you can expect there.

The standard currency here is USD; you can also change to their currency which is in Cambodian Riel if you feel that you have more advantage; but I personally think it's not necessary, unless you plan to start currency collection as a hobby ofcos. Else, everyone (even locals) uses US currency for daily business - so easy peasy right!

I first went around town looking for a clean, nice ambience restaurant, nice authentic decor for ideas (not that am opening a restaurant or what not) but I like sight seeing these stuff. One that caught my attention and not so worrying for me to indulge (since I have to go for HALAL food) is Blue Pumpkin... the dessert stuff there is......AWEEESOOOOMEEEEE!!!!! The choco taste is much better then those I had in KL (put Malaysian to shame lar). It's a chain store apparently - all over Cambodia. Anyone who is going there, ABSOLUTELY MUST try their cakes and ice-cream. YUMMILICIOUS! And the best thing is that the outlet in Old Market opens from 6am.... so, you can always ta-pau before your sunrise trip to Angkor Wat *hint*hint*.

Ofcos, these areas are walking distance (1min walk) from each other or to Siem Reap Old Market. Hemm... how should I describe Old Market? Hemm.... nothing much seriously, especially if you have been to Behn Than Market in Saigon. This is smaller and not as much stuff but still good if you love authentic looking rings, cool bracelet or even local motive earrings. Then there are house or decor ornaments, paintings, handy crafts etc; those very typical touristy souvenirish stuff.

They also have silk just like every other Asian country.
:D

Hemm... what else.... hemm... Oh yah! The MONEY CHANGER! It's everywhere in a stall concept, the currencies ie MONEY is being displayed openly without slightest worry that maybe some lunatic robbers will "serang" them (attack). WOW! I thought that was KEWL!!!!

At night time, there's nothing much unless you go for a R&R ie LEPAK at Pub Street... where the world backpacker & tourist meet. Here, we saw what I thought I.N.T.E.R.E.S.T.I.N.G - BANANA LEAF Restaurant. Heehehe.... back here in Malaysia if you say banana leaf restaurant, traditionally we meant food SERVES on BANANA LEAF larr.... here....ehheheh nothing of that sort. They even serve alcohol ok! HAHAHHAHAA..... I guess they brought the custom of banana leaf eating to the next level.

Not only that, the other interesting stuff I saw was FISH SPA. OK! Here's the thing. In Malaysia, the fish spa FISHES are ACTUALLY TINY LITTLE CUTE FISHES.... Here ie in Siem Reap, the fishes can be the size of half your palm. And that s SUPER HUGE ok.... and scary as I can imagine when they nibble you, it's won't be a nibbling feel, most likely a biting feel (I think). ARGH.... ME NO LOIKE! ME SCARED! SCARED!

Before we head back to hotel, we decided to stopped by at the night market which is similar to what they sold in Old Market but slightly cheaper, not that big an area, if you are not a shopaholic like me; you can finish this in 20 mins (slooooow walk)....

Fish perform better then people? Hehheheee....